4 ms·

I am often bemused how people actually end up being so busy. At times, I have felt insecure about my "free time" — sort of how I might be running behind people

I am often bemused how people actually end up being so busy. At times, I have felt insecure about my "free time" — sort of how I might be running behind people who are constantly occupied. But, taking a closer look, you can see how a lot of work that busy people do is something that can be reduced, optimised, and even completely done away with. Checking emails, and reports, taking calls that need not be taken, endlessly digressing in meetings, and sometimes, even more obvious, like, squandering time in checking HN, Reddit, and Facebook. The latter isn't so harmful in moderate amounts but I have people who spend their entire workday talking and checking FB, finishing their work only late at night — being "too busy and hard-working". I think our society needs to learn that having no free-time is pernicious, but more importantly, unnecessary. There are multitudes of ways in which the work can be optimised with a little effort.

Swizec 9y ago
Work less, do more. But this SMBC explains perfectly why many of us try to stay constantly occupied http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-04-25 http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-04-25
yrio 9y ago
I think the last problem is commonly called "procrastination" and different from workaholism & doing busywork like creating needless meetings, reports, etc.
- shubhamjain 9y ago
  True, it's different. My point was people could be achieving little during the daytime and feel compelled to work during the night and hence, be very busy. The work schedule might look like 12 hours/day but in actual terms, the real work only occupied 3-4 hours.
Taylor_OD 9y ago
Yesterday at 6:00PM I realized I had no pressing business or personal things to get done but it felt very odd trying to decide what to do with that time. It almost felt like wasted time if I didn't do something productive with it.
EGreg 9y ago
Yes they are busy. Busy creating free content for their friends on facebook to consume. Today's generations do not know of the backbreaking work to develop the land and survive that our ancestors were faced with for nearly all of human history. Before animals were replaced with technology, owning them was considered quite a capital investment. Today poeple sit in an air conditioned room and order in and consider that they "work hard". Maybe some do, intellectually, but most have it very easy.

Swizec 9y ago

Work less, do more. But this SMBC explains perfectly why many of us try to stay constantly occupied http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-04-25 http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-04-25

yrio 9y ago

I think the last problem is commonly called "procrastination" and different from workaholism & doing busywork like creating needless meetings, reports, etc.

shubhamjain 9y ago
True, it's different. My point was people could be achieving little during the daytime and feel compelled to work during the night and hence, be very busy. The work schedule might look like 12 hours/day but in actual terms, the real work only occupied 3-4 hours.

Taylor_OD 9y ago

Yesterday at 6:00PM I realized I had no pressing business or personal things to get done but it felt very odd trying to decide what to do with that time. It almost felt like wasted time if I didn't do something productive with it.

EGreg 9y ago

Yes they are busy. Busy creating free content for their friends on facebook to consume. Today's generations do not know of the backbreaking work to develop the land and survive that our ancestors were faced with for nearly all of human history. Before animals were replaced with technology, owning them was considered quite a capital investment. Today poeple sit in an air conditioned room and order in and consider that they "work hard". Maybe some do, intellectually, but most have it very easy.